Malaysia - Workforce Development

Malaysia has embarked on an ambitious plan to transform the economy with the aim of becoming a developed economy by the year 2020. The country's technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system can play a crucial role in its transformation to a knowledge economy. To inform policy dialogue on these issues, this report presents a comprehensive diagnostic of the country's workforce development (WfD) policies, institutions and practices. The details from this assessment yield a number of lessons to be learned and out of which policy recommendations are made. These lessons point to clear areas of policy development focus to improve the country's WfD system. First is the need to give much greater emphasis to implementation and oversight. Second, training provision should embrace the contribution of private providers. Third, closer collaboration with industry, while essential, should be framed by clear national goals. Fourth institutional coordination remains a high priority given the large number of public agencies involved in TVET provision, and likely an equally large number of non-state providers. Finally, greater transparency of public sector agencies' TVET plans and performance will help the public learn about their achievements and empathize with the challenges they face.